Capacity Building

The Capacity Building component of the Innovation Exchange supports programs in developing data infrastructures that can assist with program improvements and provide the public with confidence in program quality. As a part of this component, AACTE is building a network of learning communities to connect members to each other as they engage to improve what they do in all areas of the Innovation Exchange.

AACTE is the premier voice on educator preparation in the United States, leading the field in advocating for and building capacity for high-quality educator preparation programs in a dynamic landscape. The Association and its 800 member institutions hold central key values that undergird their work and actively promote innovative and research-based practices.

Changing the Demographic Makeup of the Teaching Workforce is AACTE’s first “Networked Improvement Community,” or NIC. NICs are characterized by their focus on a well-defined common aim, their deep understanding of a problem and the system that produces it, their disciplined application of improvement science to the problem, and its network of participants. The network accelerates the development, testing, and refining of interventions then spreads those interventions into a variety of contexts.

AACTE maintains a constant presence on Capitol Hill and within the current administration to advocate on behalf of the educator preparation profession.
Current policy and legislation related to educator preparation:

AACTE advocates for the educator preparation profession at the federal and state level. AACTE’s state policy work is guided by a set of principles written and adopted by AACTE’s Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR). These principles address one piece of a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of the nation’s education systems: strengthening the preparation of school personnel. While implementing these principles would not solve all of the challenges related to PK-12 educator quality, they are essential to improving the quality of new educators.

AACTE state chapter associations serve as the state-level affiliates of AACTE and represent the institutions of higher education that prepare educators within the state. Chapters provide a vehicle for teacher educators to take a unified position on state-specific issues and to meet as partners or as responsible adversaries with the state departments, teachers’ organizations, and other stakeholder groups. Chapters can also provide networking, service, and professional learning opportunities for teacher educators across the state.

AACTE’s Washington Week is held each June in the nation’s capital and features three key events:

Day on the Hill – The signature component of Washington Week, Day on the Hill provides AACTE members an opportunity to meet with their representatives as well as the latest information on education policy from Capitol Hill.

State Leaders Institute – Offered to current leaders of AACTE’s state chapters, this program is the forum to discuss important trends in state policies related to educator preparation.

Holmes Scholars Summer Policy Institute – Created for current AACTE Holmes Scholars®, this experience allows attendees insider experiences in the world of education policy.

AACTE’s Leadership Academy is held each summer for new deans, department chairs, and other academic administrators looking to advance their careers. The Leadership Academy covers essential topics, from managing finite resources to effective development and public relations, while helping attendees cultivate a supportive network of peers.

AACTE is committed to supporting its members in delivering high-quality school leader preparation programs.

Excellent school leadership is essential to school quality, educator satisfaction, and educator effectiveness. In late 2012, the Wallace Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports efforts nationwide to improve school leadership, awarded AACTE a grant to serve as one of its communications partners for its Principal Pipeline Initiative. In this role, AACTE engages in disseminating research and other resources about education leadership as well as the promising practices emerging from the initiative.